“Without music, life would be a mistake.”

Thus spake Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), philosopher and sometimes Wagnerite, whose birthday it is today. Did you know Nietzsche was also a composer? Here’s one of his works for violin and piano, written at the age of 19:

Actually, this time of year, with the leaf-blowers blasting full-tilt, I am always reminded of Nietzsche’s forerunner, Arthur Schopenhauer, who inveighed against the carriage drivers of his day mindlessly cracking their whips for the sake of filling up the silence with noise.

Here’s his complete screed on the subject:

http://www.schopenhauervereinigung.com/articles/arthur-schopenhauer-on-noise/

Bring back the rake is what I say!

Raking allows one to be in the moment and part of nature. We’re losing too many of the quiet rituals that permit us to become absorbed in a natural rhythm. The state of “peace and pensiveness” Schopenhauer craved is more rarified than ever, alas (says Ross, as he types on Facebook).

When you walk the dog this afternoon, leave your smartphone on the kitchen counter. Close your laptop and observe what’s going on outside. But above all, put your leaf-blower on Craigslist and pick up a rake!

PHOTO: If it was good enough for Aaron Copland, it’s good enough for me